Insulting test question, or easy answer to eliminate?

[Faerie Alex]

Suppose you saw the following question on a state test:


These shantytowns during the Great Depression were known as
a)tenements
b)ghettos
c)Levittowns
d)Hoovervilles

Now suppose you happened to live in Levittown. Would you think that this question is offensive to your village? Clearly, someone did.

Now, I can -kinda- see where they're coming from here, since the other three aren't exactly places one might choose to live, and all. But as a student who's seen many multiple choice questions, but a non-Levittown resident, I must say that I think they're making a whole big thing out of nothing. I mean, I've had at least one teacher who explicitly said about multiple choice questions that one or two answers would be completely wrong, and could be eliminated as possibilities. It would seem to me that that's the case here, but I guess not to some people.

So what do y'all think?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I note the report points out that Levittown is usually taught as being precisely the opposite of Hooverville.

On which basis, I don't think they have a leg to stand on. Not that that's going to stop them at all...

[RobbieThe1st]

I agree with llearch: According to the question, Levittown was a *wrong* answer. If it had been the correct answer, then I can see how it would be insulting, but what with it being a wrong answer... I don't see the problem.


-RobbieThe1st

[Goatmon]

It's most likely my aspergers at work, but I honestly can see no reason why anyone would be offended by this question, be they from that region or not. 

Edit: okay, I get it now.  But they're still retarded for taking offense, it's a classic example of making a mountain out of a molehill, and making their complaints public will only draw more negative attention.   

As with almost everything else, complaining is sure to make them look worse than if they'd just left well enough alone.

[Alondro]

*looks at the picture*

Is that a B&W photo of present-day Detroit?

[Jigsaw Forte]

From the wikipedia article:

Today, "Levittown" is used as a term of derogation to describe overly-sanitized suburbs consisting largely of tract housing.

So... perhaps they're upset with it being used as a derogatory term and associated with similar terms, period?

Then again, it seems pretty harmless.

[Goatmon]

From the wikipedia article:

Today, "Levittown" is used as a term of derogation to describe overly-sanitized suburbs consisting largely of tract housing.

So... perhaps they're upset with it being used as a derogatory term and associated with similar terms, period?

Then again, it seems pretty harmless.

But to use that word would mean a wrong answer.  It just has a similar name along with the other wrong answers.  This is just an attempt to get attention. -_-

[Sunblink]

It's most likely my aspergers at work, but I honestly can see no reason why anyone would be offended by this question, be they from that region or not. 

Nah, that's not it, dude. I didn't see a big deal with it either.

Granted, I don't live in Levittown, and even if I did I would still think the nonsense raised over this question is retarded.

~Keaton the Black Jackal

[AngelSephy]

Anyone wanna go on a roadtrip? I'm in a rather bad mood and I have a nice bokken that needs testing on human torsos!

/facepalm

[LionHeart]

You'd think it would be easier to just change the name of the town, wouldn't you?

[Alkarii]

I wonder if anyone from Levittown thinks this is being blown out of proportion?

Heh, I bet you that if a test at my highschool had the town's name as one of the options, not only would many students gotten a laugh out of it, more than one would have selected it as the answer.  But then again, it is a podunk town in the middle of nowhere.

[lucas marcone]

ah but what of anyone of the hoover bloodline? i certinly would not want some ramshackle type place being officially labeled a Carey town.  while i realize president hoover was the one responsible for the economy at that time (others may see it differently increasing the offence factor) it would still be offencive to me if my name were hoover.  kinda like the your name is mud idiom.